NHL: Flyers push past Hurricanes in overtime

PHILADELPHIA — The Flyers have had trouble at the starts of games, but it was their slow finish Saturday which was putting them on the verge of another damaging finish.

With the Carolina Hurricanes first tying the game, then dominating it through the third period, the Flyers were staring at the same script that led to a shootout loss just two nights earlier against the Florida Panthers. In short, as Danny Briere has been here long enough to know, you don’t want to go to a shootout if you’re hanging with the Flyers.

So in a timely flash of brilliance, Briere offered a bailout. He got the puck from Nick Grossmann, cut down the left wing and swung sharply right into a shooting area...and almost swung and missed. But Briere collected himself and got a shot off that rung off the right post, bounced off Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward’s back and trickled into the net for a 4-3 Flyers victory that was as important as any in this short season start.

Briere’s bouncing goal prevented a possible repeat of what had happened two nights before, when the Flyers allowed the Florida Panthers to get a game into overtime, then hold on through a furious Flyers push to get into a shootout ... an area of the game that the Flyers’ shooters and goalie should simply avoid at all costs and practice every day.

Anyway, it appeared the ‘Canes were trying to employ that survive-to-the-shootout strategy until Briere cut toward the slot and came to the rescue. With Ward least expecting it, Briere pumped, half-fanned, then reloaded and shot, fooling Ward in the process.

“I think I fooled myself, too,” Briere cracked.

The Flyers should feel fortunate for being able to laugh along.

“He’s got a great shot and he’s using it at the right time,” Jakub Voracek said of Briere. “I mean, he even said that he doesn’t have to be seen much all game long. But he’s that kind of player that he steps up in the right time. That’s why he’s special.”

Briere’s timely bow enabled the Flyers to earn seven out of a possible eight points on a four-game homestand that has returned them to within shooting distance of a playoff spot in this intense, early season scramble. Two of their victories came against these Hurricanes (5-5), one of the teams that should be dancing with the Flyers when there aren’t too many playoff passes remaining in late April.

More than ever for all of these players who have never been through a shortened regular season of all intra-conference games, the daily urgency of gaining points is hitting home.

“It was frustrating to blow the lead in the third period, no doubt about it,” Briere said. “And the last one (against the Panthers) didn’t go our way in overtime, or the shootout. It’s good to get back in this one and find a way to get it done.”

Though opinions are mixed in the Flyers’ locker room and coach’s office as to whether the team has had too many bad starts to games, there was no disputing the feeling the very start of this matinee with Carolina would create.

It took 17 seconds from the opening faceoff before the Hurricanes rifled three shots right at goalie Ilya Bryzgalov (30 saves). He gift-wrapped a rebound to Canes Center Jiri Tlusty, and his shot found net for a quick 1-0 lead.

But the Flyers quickly righted themselves and at 13:52 of the first, Brayden Schenn skillfully redirected a Kimmo Timonen throw-in past Ward to make it 1-1.

The Flyers jumped on top just 1:33 into the second, as Mike Knuble blocked off a clearing attempt by Eric Staal. The puck magically rebounded to Matt Read, who was alone in the slot and he easily beat Ward from there for a 2-1 Flyers lead.

They largely dominated for a while from there, but couldn’t put space on the scoreboard. Finally, a play behind the net by ‘Canes center Jeff Skinner resulted in a wrist shot that somehow found a spot beneath Bryzgalov’s arm and it was 2-2. But all of 15 seconds later, the Flyers regained the lead when Voracek tipped in another Brayden Schenn offering at the 11:32 mark of the second.

That lead held until the Flyers hit a chaotic patch in the defensive zone midway through the third period. Bryzgalov did everything he could during it to keep the game level, but then a Joe Corvo shot deflected off Flyers defender Kurtis Foster and went in to tie the game, 3-3.

Read almost prevented overtime with a point-blank, last second shot that Ward made a terrific save on.

“I tried to be as patient as I can,” Read said. “I knew there was only a couple of seconds left. I was tired and I just tried to get the puck on my forehand and get a good shot off...he had a good save.”